Wooodbine: Jenna's Wabbit looms large in Frost King

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The imposing Jenna’s Wabbit, who looks more like a 3-year-old than a 2-year-old, seeks his second straight win in Ontario-sired stakes company on Wednesday at Woodbine in the seven-furlong Frost King.

Jenna’s Wabbit is trained by Ralph Biamonte, who sent out the top two finishers in last year’s $125,000 Frost King, Citius and Altius.

Jenna’s Wabbit graduated second time out, in a five-furlong maiden special in June. He nearly got the job done in his stakes debut in the July 3 Clarendon, flashing speed before ending up a neck short of Making Amends. Following a three-month layoff Oct. 10, Jenna’s Wabbit romped in the six-furlong Bull Page Stakes, for which he got a 79 Beyer Figure.

“The way he had been training, I thought he would really run a good race,” Biamonte said. “He beat all my other 2-year-olds in his works, and he even beat all my older horses. He’s about the best 2-year-old that I’ve had for a while. If he switches leads, he might even get better. He has no problem with it in the morning.”

Biamonte said he anticipates another strong showing from Jenna’s Wabbit on Wednesday.

“He’s acting as good as ever, or ever better, since that last race,” said Biamonte. “I’ve got nothing but good things to say about him. I just hope that he runs back to it, and I think he could run even better. Mentally, he’s just matured so much in the past three or four months. I don’t think the seven-eighths will be a problem for him.”

Patrick Husbands, who worked Jenna’s Wabbit last Wednesday, inherits the mount on him from the injured Eurico Da Silva.

Courtville should be prominent following a frustrating fourth-place finish in the Bull Page, during which he was blocked behind rivals until late stretch.

“He had a horrendous trip, and things weren’t dead right with him heading into the race,” said trainer Laurie Silvera. “He had an issue that compromised his performance. I think you’ll see a different horse this go-around. He’s in excellent order right now.”

Silvera is confident that seven furlongs is within the range of Courtville, who crossed the wire on top in his first two outings in shorter sprints.

“It looks as though it should be ideal,” said Silvera, who has enlisted Omar Moreno for the mount.